Dry Creek Grill — Restaurant in San Jose

Came here to celebrate my dad's birthday on a Tuesday night. We made a reservation for 5 but it was rather empty. This is my only complaint about my meal here: We were seated at a booth towards the back of the restaurant. Once we got to the booth, my brother helped his gf take off her coat. He struggled a little bit and I watched as the hostess ROLLED HER EYES and then gave off a fake little smile and laugh. I thought that was a bit rude. I guess she was getting impatient with them but to roll her eyes at them is kinda unacceptable. And that's where my complaints end about the service because our server, Chad, was AWESOME! He explained everything on the menu very well and gave us his recommendations since he knew it was our first time there. He was very attentive and checked on us every so often to make sure everything was 100%. Chad made our visit very pleasurable. It's been a while since we've gotten service like that. Cocktails: I ordered the blood orange cosmopolitan and it was so good that I ordered round 2 of the same thing. You can tell they didn't try to trick you with the alcohol because the second one I had had a very strong alcohol taste. It was delicious though and I made a very smart choice. My dad ordered the California Sidecar and it was also very good for whiskey lovers. Chad even burnt the orange peel at our table to show his finesse. Their Moscow Mule is supposedly the 2nd best in the city so I will have to try that next time I am here. I thought the coolest thing about their cocktail menu was that everything was made in California, all the beer was Cali brewed, all the wines were from Cali. It was pretty cool. Now for the food: Appetizers: We ordered the deviled eggs with bacon, the crab cakes, and the chicken wings. The winner of the three were the chicken wings. They were smoked instead of spiced and it gave them a unique flavor that you can't find anywhere else. You can skip the deviled eggs, they weren't special and didn't have as much flavor as I had hoped. The crab cakes were pretty good, and came with some arugula on the side. They were pretty flavorful and I really liked them but they were a bit pricey. Entrees: I think the winner at our table was their RIBS. They were spicy but they were also very flavorful and juicy. Definitely the best ribs I've found in the Bay Area. I ordered the Dry Creek Meatloaf and it was a HUGE portion. I was surprised when I was able to finish it all but it was also very good. The bacon that was wrapped around it made it the best. Dessert: We got a complimentary dessert for my dads bday which was cheesecake which apparently was tasty. I ordered the apple crisp on the side and it wasn't anything special. I think I would pass on it next time. Overall: Chad made our visit the best. I loved their food and their cocktail menu. I loved the ambience and environment as well. We will definitely be back, as long as Chad...

I've been here about three time in 2023. Each of those visits got progressively worse in quality. I put Dry Creek Grill on the shelf because of this and tonight I decided to give it another go. Tonight was by far the worst of my experiences.

I ordered a mocktail, Korean BBQ wings, and whatever they named their burger. Before the wings were awesome and I would've recommended them to anyone eating here; sweet and spicy gochujang sauce generously smothered on perfectly sized chicken wings makes for a perfect appetizer. What we got tonight were chicken legs in various uncomfortable sizes that were mostly likely frozen with an unappetizing thick batter covered in sweet and sour dipping sauce. I was so looking forward to the wings and was so disappointed at my first bite.

The burger arrived with all the toppings on the side. I don't like that at all. It was served on a brioche bun which was soggy and disintegrating after the first few bites. The fries were undeniably old, maybe cooked a few hours before hand or sat out too long before serving. Regardless of how, they were more fried stuff than potato and I couldn't put down more than a few. To be fair toward their entrees, I've had two different cuts of steak and the BBQ sampler in the past and had no complaints.

For a party of two we were in and out in under 40 minutes. I get some people may find this time crunch appealing but I didn't get any satisfaction from the realization at how quickly we got our main courses. The service was good enough. I enjoy a wait staff that is attentive yet stays out of your way and they did just that. Though the vibe that accompanied them always left me with the fact that they were at work, working, on the clock, hustling. Even the front of house seemed to be an echo of the welcome feeling I remember from previous visits.

I think Dry Creek Grill is a great place for certain demographics. First dates, casual meetups, weekly dining for elderly customers seem to gravitate most toward the place. Right now, if you're looking for some quality food with a dedicated kitchen staff that's worth the money, this is not the place for you.

To sum it up in a way I'm sure we've all heard from someone who's opinion we value, "I'm not mad, just disappointed.

TL;DR: My favorite thing tonight was...

From Favorite Spot to Frustrating Mess – What Happened to Dry Creek?

We used to love Dry Creek—it was our regular date night go-to. But after our latest experience, it is clear this place has taken a serious nosedive.

We came in on a Sunday night around 8 PM with the family. The place was far from packed, but from the moment we stepped in, it was like we were invisible. The first person at the host stand (an asian server with a ponytail) didn’t greet us—instead, when we mentioned we needed a table for four, he literally just muttered “You need to talk to her,” and turned his back. No eye contact, no acknowledgment. Just walked off, not his job.

The hostess, glued to her phone and exuding "don’t bother me" energy, never once looked up or spoke to us. We waited in silence at the entrance for 10 minutes, completely ignored. When another staff member finally came and apologized, the hostess reluctantly waved us in without a glance or a word. When I looked at her, her attitude said it all: “I hate my job. Try me.”

Things did not get better once seated. The busser was kind and tried to help, but our actual server never showed. After 15 minutes, still no one had come by to take even our drink order. We had been in the restaurant over 30 minutes with nothing to show for - enough was enough. We walked out.

We called the manager afterward. Instead of owning the issue, we got a long-winded excuse-fest. No real acknowledgment, no apology, no accountability. That’s when it clicked: this wasn’t a bad night—it is an enduring and systemic failure.

This place used to be buzzing—you needed a reservation to get in. Not anymore. And now we know why.

Dry Creek needs a new team—one that wants to work, respects the guest, and takes pride in service. Until then, don't bother coming... We’re out. Blossom and Bourbon is the...